


Nodus Tollens

by suethor



Series: Stars and Stripes [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: BAMF Peggy Carter, Bisexual main character, Deaf Clint Barton, Domestic Avengers, Espionage, F/F, F/M, Family Drama, Female Friendship, HBIC Pepper Potts, Original Characters - Freeform, Parent Steve Rogers, Pining, Protective Steve Rogers, Recovery, Slow Burn, Spies, Steve vs. the Pop Culture References, Tony Stark Is a Good Bro, minor Clint Barton/Natasha Romanoff - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-24
Updated: 2019-04-08
Packaged: 2019-05-27 23:33:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15035741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suethor/pseuds/suethor
Summary: n. the realization that the plot of your life doesn’t make sense to you anymoreAfter the Battle of New York, Audrey Carter-Rogers and Steve Rogers are adjusting to life in Avengers tower.  While Steve fumbles his way to a date with Darcy Lewis, Audrey deals with her own love life–from her affair with French agent Delphine Lamontagne to her crush on Dr. Bruce Banner.On top of romance, there’s the ordeal of DIVUS, an agency selling Chitauri weapons that seems to have a tie to Natasha Romanoff’s past, a dark elf invasion targeting astrophysicist Jane Foster and Asgardian Thor, Clint Barton’s new protegee Kate Bishop, and Tony Stark’s efforts to turn a ragtag group of heroes into something more.Over the course of a year and a half, the trials of love, heroism, and one lucky dog will transform the Avengers from a team into a family.





	1. Ever Since New York

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Audrey's birthday, featuring Asgardian mead, awkward flirting with Bruce, and sparring with Natasha.

_ “It feels so scary getting old.” _ -Lorde

**August 28, 2012**

Audrey winced as she was thrown onto the mat for the third time that evening, her head striking the ground and the pain shooting up her neck.  Audrey tried not to make premature judgments, but she was pretty sure this wasn’t how most people spent their sixty-sixth birthday. 

She felt a knife press up against her neck.  

_ This _ being sparring with a former Red Room assassin and losing.  Very badly. 

“You’re dead,” Natasha said.  She relented from her attacks and stood up, offering a hand to help Audrey up.  

The blonde, sweaty and out of breath, accepted the offer and pulled herself back onto her feet.  They’d been training for two hours, almost, according to the clock on the wall. It was hell. Even with the super-soldier serum running through her veins, Audrey couldn’t seem to beat Natasha.  She’d block her attacks a few times, and then Natasha would pull a new trick and land a kick to her neck, or she’d somehow twist Audrey into a chokehold. As grateful as she was to be trained by the Black-freaking-Widow herself, at the moment she was having trouble focusing on anything besides how sore she was. 

“You’re holding back,” Natasha informed her.  “You know what’s coming but you don’t react fast enough.”  Audrey bowled over, wheezing. 

“Noted,” she breathed.

“Let’s try again,” Natasha told her.  “No knives this time.” The ginger flicked her switchblade back into its shielded position and tossed it to the side of the ring.  She put her fists up, prepared to start again. 

_ C’mon, Carter.   _ Audrey lifted her arms up to tighten her ponytail, and then mimicked the redhead’s position.  Natasha waited for a moment, giving Audrey a window to make the first move, and the blonde chose to swing her arm into the redhead’s cheek,  _ hard.   _

Natasha didn’t react, and save for a moment of disorientation, she wasn’t all that deterred.  She dropped to the ground and swung both her legs under Audrey’s, knocking the blonde onto her back.  She was on top of her in an instant, and Audrey was only barely moving her head enough to dodge the redhead’s punches.  

Audrey finally grabbed the redhead’s fist and twisted, until Natasha relented and rolled off of her.  Audrey lept back onto her feet, and Natasha soon followed suit. The redhead pivoted and sent a kick in Audrey’s direction, which the blonde lifted up her arm to block.  Natasha smirked the slightest bit, and Audrey did her best not to read too much into it. She took a deep breath, and then realized something--Natasha was winning because she was fighting with technique.  Something Audrey  _ did not have _ .  But what Audrey  _ did  _ have going for her was blunt strength.  And with all pointy objects out of the way, she could use it without accidentally bumbling around and getting herself stabbed.

She stuck out her elbow and charged towards Natasha, catching her off guard for once and sending her to the ground.  Audrey then leaned down and pressed her forearm to the redhead’s throat. Natasha smiled up at her, almost proud, and tapped her arm, a sign to relent.  

Audrey got the feeling that Natasha wasn’t out of tricks yet and that she was probably going easy on her because it was her birthday.  But she’d take it for now if it meant she could catch a break. 

“Better,” Natasha said, as Audrey helped her to her feet.  She looked over at the clock, which read 6. “I’ll let you go so you have enough time to get ready.”  

Thank  _ god.   _ “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about what Tony has planned?” Audrey asked.  The two stepped out of the ring, gathering their things into gym bags. Audrey uncapped her water bottle and gulped down its contents desperately, nearly choking from drinking too fast.  

“Of course I do,” Natasha retorted.  “I’m not telling, though.” 

Audrey huffed, pressing the button for the elevator.  “Fine.” 

“You’ll have fun, don’t worry,” Natasha assured her.  The doors opened and the women stepped in, quiet as the elevator went up past the rest of the communal levels of Avengers Tower and entered the block of floors devoted to suites.  When they arrived at Audrey’s floor, Natasha offered her a small smile. “See you tonight,” she said. 

“See you then,” Audrey replied, stepping out and entering the door on the right side of the hallway.  The other one belonged to Steve. 

She’d only moved in a few weeks ago, but Audrey was convinced she’d never get used to how nice life in the Tower was.  As soon as she and Steve had returned from their road trip in early August, Tony had demanded that they stop by the remodelled Stark Tower, which now went by the name Avengers Tower.  The second they arrived, Tony swept them up in a grand tour, showing off the remodelled labs, the movie theater, the training facilities, and the living area before he whisked them off to their floor.  

Their  _ floor.   _ Never had Audrey imagined she would have an entire  _ floor  _ to herself.  As if that wasn’t stunning enough, her apartment was ridiculous.  The living room connected to a state-of-the-art kitchen, and further into the apartment was a massive bedroom that was met with an ensuite bigger than the entirety of her former apartment.  She’d tried to persuade Tony that there was  _ no way  _ she needed all of this, but he refused to budge, explaining to her that by taking the apartment and making use of it, she was converting clean energy into dollars that went towards rebuilding the destroyed areas of New York, and Stark Industries’ new affordable housing project.  She’d been dubious, but when Bruce verified that indeed, Tony was telling the truth, Audrey accepted the metaphorical keys to the apartment. 

_ Metaphorical,  _ because the lock actually used biometric scanning.  

Now, in her apartment, she tossed her gym bag on the couch and headed straight for her bathroom, wanting nothing more than a shower.  

By the time Audrey had scrubbed herself clean and gotten dressed, it was 6:50 and she was due downstairs in ten minutes.  She knew that, unlike most things, arriving to parties early was usually unappreciated, but that left her sitting on her couch, fidgeting uncomfortably as the minutes ticked by.  Her dress--an emerald green wasp-waist with a swing skirt--was comfortable at least. 

At 6:58, she finally allowed herself to get off her couch and gather her phone and her wallet, although she doubted she would need the latter.  She pocketed both items and then stepped out of the apartment, instructing JARVIS to lock the door behind her. 

Her heart raced for the entirety of the elevator ride.  Tony had been teasing the party for almost a month, starting when she and Steve were still on their road trip.  Audrey had attempted to get some semblance of a hint out of each of the Avengers, but they all refused to tell her.  Except for her dad, actually, because she doubted he’d known anything about it in the first place. 

All the anticipation peaked when JARVIS alerted her that she’d arrived.  The world seemed to still as the doors slid open, and Audrey held her breath.  

She didn’t have much time to process.  The communal room had been transformed into an art-deco dance club.  A live band was playing swing music, and people dressed in 40s apparel milled about.  She stepped out into the room, jaw dropping. 

A brunette stopped in front of her, smirking.  “About time,” she said. It took Audrey a moment to recognize her, with the victory rolls and the sailor dress.  Caroline. 

Audrey laughed, thinking about the last time Caroline had been dressed like this--they’d been at SHIELD headquarters waiting for Steve to wake up from his coma.  Life had been strange back then, but it seemed so much simpler than it was now. Audrey led her tactician team and carried out quiet, covert missions. She’d had some semblance of a routine.  

A few months ago, maybe she would’ve preferred that.  But now, as she was adjusting to a new routine of training and working and sleeping and eating, she found that she was enjoying life much more like this.  Being open about who she was, having Steve alive and with her. Not living in an apartment with leaking faucets. 

“This is incredible,” Audrey breathed.  

“You like it?” Caroline asked.  The blonde nodded, taking in the music, the decor, everything--it was perfect.  Most of the people there were dressed up for the occasion too, down to the hairstyles.  “I’m glad you do. Also disappointed though, because Tony’s going to be gloating for weeks.”  Despite this, the assassin smiled. “Happy birthday, Aud. You’re old.” 

“Audrey!” another voice bellowed from across the room.  The blonde jumped at the call, and turned towards its source--Tony.  “What do you think?” he asked. A quick once-over and she noticed that he was dressed in a navy suit and a bow tie.  He was grinning, as if he knew the answer. Audrey was sure that he did--she’d always been obsessed with the 40s. She read everything she could about it growing up, and got Peggy to tell her all about the decade.  

“I love it,” Audrey gushed.  “Thank you so much.” 

Tony ruffled her hair.  “I’m glad, Aud. You deserve it.”  He pretended to tear up. “I’m so proud of you...it seems like just yesterday you were so young.”  

Audrey scowled and shoved him.  “I’m older than you.” 

He laughed as he recovered from the shove, slinging an arm around her shoulder.  “Attention, everyone!” he shouted. 

The swing band dropped its volume and the party’s guests turned their attention to Tony. Audrey flushed at the attention. 

“I’d like to introduce the guest of honor, Miss Audrey Carter.”  He gestured to her with a grandiose flourish and Audrey, unsure what else to do, curtsied awkwardly.  “Enjoy the dinner, drinks, and dancing, old sports.” Turning back to Audrey, he said, “I’m a regular Gatsby, right?” 

“He was the 20s,” Audrey corrected.  “Also, he died sad and alone.” 

“Seriously?” Tony exclaimed.  “That’s how that ends?” He blew out a breath, disappointed.  “I should’ve finished that book.” 

Audrey raised an eyebrow.  “You did alright without it.”  

He laughed.  “I got to throw a great birthday party for my best friend. And save the world.  And develop the most advanced green energy  _ ever _ .”  

“Does this party you’ve thrown involve food?” Audrey asked.  She was starving after the fighting and time spent trying to apply liquid eyeliner.  Her attempts at either weren’t all that successful, but it still managed to make her hungry.  

“Of course,” Tony said, giving her a  _ who-do-you-think-I-am?  _ look before snapping his fingers.  A waiter arrived with a plate of mini grilled cheese sandwiches on them, extending the platter for Audrey to take some.  She bounced up and down on the balls of her feet with excitement and grabbed a handful, popping them into her mouth one by one.  

“Thank you,” she told the waiter.  

“Of course, Miss Carter,” he replied, before pivoting and disappearing into the crowd.  

Audrey peered into the group of people, searching for her dad.  This was the first birthday he’d actually been around for, since it was the first to happen since he came out of the ice.  She’d been excited for him to be there, although she’d also been dismayed by the fact that it was  _ also  _ the first one since Peggy had moved back to England.  

“Old Man Rogers offered to get some more ice from downstairs, that damn gentleman. He should be back soon,” Tony explained.  “Have a drink in the meantime! I understand that Thor brought Asgardian mead back for you as a gift.” 

She barely had time to think before she was swept up again and being pushed towards the bar, where Thor, Bruce, Darcy, and Jane were talking.  Jane was wearing fitted dark jeans and a button-down white shirt, and her hair was pulled back. Darcy was wearing a red dress and her hair was in waves.  It was the first time Audrey had seen Thor out of his armor--he was wearing a dress shirt and linen pants instead, and the front of his hair was pulled back and clipped into a braid.  

“Lady Audrey!” he boomed, putting down his cup and wrapping her up tightly in his arms.  For a moment, Audrey couldn’t breathe or see anything past his shirt, and her hand was twisted so it rested on his washboard abs, and it wasn’t like she was  _ complaining  _ about that or anything, but after a few moments, the embrace was beginning to feel uncomfortable.  Thor finally released her and she stumbled back a few feet. Darcy reached out a hand to Audrey’s shoulder to steady her.  

“Happy birthday, girl,” she said, holding up her glass of red wine, as if to toast.  “We’re sorry Thor didn’t dress up. We tried.” 

“I was unaware of what ‘the forties’ referred to,” the god admitted.  “I assumed you were referring to the 1440s, which is one of my favorite decades here on Midgard.”  

Audrey smiled anyways.  “Thank you for coming. I’m just excited that everyone is here.”  

“Aw,” Darcy cooed.  “We wouldn’t miss it.”

“We must get the Lady a drink,” Thor insisted.  “I have brought Asgardian mead to celebrate this exciting event.”  He reached over to the bar and grabbed an empty glass and a wooden bottle that looked like it was pulled straight out of the Middle Ages.  After pouring some of its contents--an amber-brown liquid--into the glass, he held it out to Audrey. 

She almost hesitated, but she  _ had  _ always wanted to know what it felt like to be tipsy.  Not  _ drunk  _ per se, but the slightest bit inebriated.  Audrey took the glass and took a sip. 

It  _ burned.   _ Good  _ lord  _ did it burn.  She coughed and put it down on the bar, wheezing.  “What--” she sputtered, hacking again. “What’s  _ in that?”  _

Thor laughed heartily.  “It is the finest rum of the realms.  It has been aged for over three thousand years.”  

Audrey didn’t know a lot about drinking, but she knew that older things are usually better.  But she didn’t know if  _ anything  _ was supposed to be that old.  

“It’s very...strong,” she remarked carefully.  

“Indeed,” Thor replied.  “It’s a bit of an acquired taste.”

“No, no, no,” Jane exclaimed suddenly, drawing Audrey’s attention away from Thor.  She held a Collins glass in one hand, and the straw was in her mouth as she spoke. “Relativity isn’t that complicated.  It’s just like…” She pulled a pen from her bun and grabbed a napkin from the bar, scribbling notes furiously. 

“I didn’t say it was complicated,” Bruce said, “I just said that it probably couldn’t be effectively utilized for the sake of this project.”  

“But...you’re wrong.  Look.” Jane held out her napkin diagram and Bruce stared at it for a moment.  

“But that’s not technically correct, it’s not taking into account the unsolved supersymmetry and neutrino masses.”  

“There’s no absolute identification for either of those but if you’re aware of all the other factors in an equation you can work backwards to identify…” Jane trailed off, staring at her napkin.  She started mumbling random equations to herself as she jotted down more notes. 

Darcy rolled her eyes.  “She literally never takes a break.  I have to lure her out of the lab with Pop-Tarts and lock it behind her.”  

Although Darcy was annoyed, Audrey could see Thor staring at Jane admiringly.  He had a small grin playing on his lips, as if Jane scribbling quantum equations onto a bar napkin was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.  Audrey suddenly felt like she was intruding on a very intimate moment, and looked away from Thor, refocusing her attention on Bruce and Darcy. 

“You’re a good friend,” Bruce told Darcy.  

“Scientist-wrangling is a talent of mine,” the brunette quipped.  “It’s a skill I’ve been dedicated to for a number of years, which I have worked hard to master.”  

Audrey raised an eyebrow, amused.  “You’re the best scientist-wrangler in all the realms,” she praised.  

Darcy mock-bowed.  “Thank you, thank you.”  She grinned, and Audrey noticed her red lipstick for the first time.  It reminded her of Peggy--bright and unabashed and vibrant. Audrey had never worn lipstick.  She always felt like it was something to earn, and she hadn’t yet proven her worth. Darcy had, she knew, in Puente Antiguo.  Peggy had, time and time again. Pepper for sure. But she hadn’t. 

Audrey noticed Darcy’s gaze drift from her to something behind her, and she turned around to see what it was.  Steve stood there, smiling gently. “Happy birthday, kiddo.” 

She threw her arms around him and he returned the embrace.  “Thanks, Dad,” she said, the words muffled by his shoulder. 

“Are your birthdays always so extravagant?”  

She laughed.  “No. For a while, it was just Ana baking me cake or making a fancy dinner.  The last few years, I’ve just gone out with Caroline and Claudia and Lindsey.” Audrey took one more look around the room, still struggling to believe that it was all for her.  The band, the fact that everyone had dressed up, the decor. It was amazing. “This is the first real...party I’ve had.”

Steve gave her a fond look.  “I’m glad I could be here.” 

Audrey smiled.  “Me too.”

* * *

 

By the time the clock hit eleven, Audrey had danced and eaten and talked to everyone and tried a  _ little  _ more of Thor’s mead.  Maybe more than a little.  She was exhausted from the day’s events, yawning to herself and collapsing onto the couch. 

Her head hit something and the something jumped.  Audrey sat up, panicked. 

“Sorry,” Bruce said.  “You surprised me.” 

“Oh, no that’s my fault,” Audrey stumbled.  “I didn’t--see you.” She winced. “I’m so tired.  I’m better than this, I promise.” 

A teasing smile tugged on the corners of his lips, and he ran a hand through his hair.  It looked soft. Audrey wanted to touch it. “I know,” he assured her. She wasn’t able to focus on his words though; all she could think about was his hair.  “Do you notice when you’re doing that?” 

“Doing what?” 

“You’re speaking with a British accent.”  

“I am?” Audrey thought for a moment, considering it.  She realized that he was right. She  _ was  _ talking in a British accent.  “Lord, I sound like my mum.” 

Bruce raised an eyebrow, amused.  Audrey yawned. 

“Hey!” Tony called.  “No falling asleep. We haven’t opened gifts yet.”  

Audrey sat up.  “It’s not Christmas.”  

“Not yet,” Tony replied, hopping over the back of the couch with ease and landing between her and Bruce.  Audrey jumped back to make room for him. “I have put thought and time into a gift for you, and I’d like you to open it.”  

“Ditto,” Lindsey added from her spot lying sideways across Caroline, Molly, and Claudia’s laps.  “We got you stuff too.” 

Audrey smiled, almost embarrassed that they’d taken the time to get her something.  

“You first,” Tony told Lindsey.  

“Aye-aye,” Lindsey called.  She heaved herself up and grabbed a briefcase from under the end table that had a red ribbon hastily taped to the top.  Lindsey handed the case to Audrey. “I’ve been working on these for so long. I’m so excited.” 

Her giddiness was infectious.  Audrey unclipped the buckles and opened up the case.  Inside were a pair of shining silver batons. 

“I infused them with Widow’s Bite technology to make them more effective,” Lindsey explained.  “Also, hit the blue buttons on the sides.” Audrey did as she was told, pressing the buttons. A claw shot out of the end of each baton.  She flinched at the sudden motion. “Cutting edge climbing technology. They root themselves into anything and are stable enough to stand on or use to pull yourself up.”  She smiled, proud of herself. 

“You’re incredible, Lindsey,” Audrey said.  She jumped up and gave Lindsey a hug. 

“Yeah, yeah.  I know,” she replied, but she still hugged her back.  When they’d pulled apart and Lindsey had returned to her spot on the couch, Tony beamed.  

“My turn,” he announced.  He pulled out a messily-wrapped box with a slapped-on ribbon and handed it to her.  Audrey raised an eyebrow. She trusted Tony, but was also slightly nervous about what was inside, if he was really this excited about it.  

She tore through the paper to find a white box.  Inside was a suit. 

“Lady Liberty’s suit, new and improved.”  

Audrey lifted it up out of the box.  At the center of the blue bodice was the Avengers emblem.  The skirt at the bottom of the suit had been replaced by pants, and the material felt smoother, the colors less vibrant.  

“Oh my God,” she said, tracing the  _ A  _ in with her thumb.  “This is amazing.” 

“I improved the quality of the fabric to make it more flexible and breathable, but the fabric is made of double-bound steel thread.  And I expanded that to cover your legs for improved protection. Cape is now optional and reinforced to be fireproof to up to fifty-five hundred Fahrenheit.  Overall, more badass than ever.”

Audrey was still practically speechless.  The suit was sleek and powerful and she had trouble wrapping her head around the fact that it was hers.  Because even after New York, even with the daily training sessions with Natasha and the autographs and the fact that she had a  _ frickin superhero name _ , she couldn’t quite compute that she was a hero.  An Avenger. 

“Thank you,” she told Tony.  “This is incredible.” 

He smiled--a rare, genuine grin.  “Happy birthday, Aud.” The smile morphed into a smirk, and he glanced around the room.  “Someone top my gift.” 

Clint cleared his throat.  “My gift to you, Audrey, is that you won’t have to train tomorrow.”

Oh  _ yes.   _ But before she got too excited, she raised an eyebrow in question.  That was too good to be true. “Are you serious? Why not?” 

He offered a cocky smirk.  “My  _ protege  _ will be training.” 

“Trainee,” Natasha corrected.  

The smirk fell from Clint’s face.  “C’mon, Tasha. I was gonna sound really cool.”  

The redhead rolled her eyes at her partner, and then looked out at the group.  “Clint is training an agent while he takes a break from field work. He’s been working with her at SHIELD, but he wants to have her working with Stark’s equipment to make sure she doesn’t get used to a particular setting.”  

A new agent.  Audrey knew that agents typically went through the Academy, unless they’d been in special circumstances.  She wondered what it was in this case. She could probably use her clearance level to find out but that would take a lot of effort, and it was ethically wrong, and she was kind of...drunk.  

Drunk?  Was that the word used after consuming several shots of Asgardian mead?

She shook the thought away.  _ Whatever.   _ It was close enough.  Although the sensation was beginning to fade--the mead managed to make her tipsy for a bit, but it wore off rather quickly.  

“Thanks, Clint,” Audrey said.  “What’s her name?” 

“Kate,” he responded cryptically.  Audrey narrowed her eyes, but didn’t ask any more questions.  

“I’m gonna call it a night,” Bruce said suddenly from his spot next to her.  “I have...a thing tomorrow. Early. In the morning.” 

Audrey furrowed her brows.  Bruce was a terrible liar; she knew that he didn’t go anywhere but the labs and back to his room, but she didn’t want to push it.  She knew that he kept himself on a strict routine to make sure the Other Guy stayed in check, and it was late. 

As she remembered how late it was, she let out a yawn.  “I’m glad you made it,” she told him. 

He looked slightly taken aback.  “Oh, um. Me too. I had fun.” Bruce stood up, and Audrey noticed that he’d taken his jacket off, leaving his shirtsleeves rolled up.  He wasn’t muscular, not compared to her or the rest of the team. But his arms were more toned than she’d thought. They looked strong. She was sober enough now to stop herself from touching them, but not so much that she could pull her eyes away. “Goodnight, guys,” Bruce said, waving awkwardly before heading back to the elevator.  

“I’m gonna take Jane upstairs,” Darcy announced.  Audrey looked over at the astrophysicist, only to find Jane asleep on Darcy’s shoulder.  

“I will accompany you,” Thor decided.  “Goodnight, Audrey. I have enjoyed these festivities.”  

“Goodnight, Thor,” she returned.  “Goodnight, Darcy.” 

“See you tomorrow,” Darcy responded brightly.  “We’ll all be hungover together. It’ll be exciting.”  

Oh.  Hangovers.  Audrey had forgotten those were a thing.  She crossed her fingers it didn’t apply to special alien mead, but doubted that her hopes would prove true.  

She watched as Thor lifted Jane up into his arms, and marvelled yet again at how giant he was.  Jane was petite already, but she looked tiny in Thor’s embrace. The god looked down fondly at his girlfriend, and then the three also left.

“Can we crash at your place?” Lindsey asked.  “I am. Drunk and tired.” 

“Yeah,” Claudia added simply.  A beat passed. “Me too,” she elaborated.  

“Sure,” Audrey said.  “You wanna head up?” 

“Boo, you’re old.  It’s not even midnight.”  Tony was scowling with disappointment.  Audrey hesitated for a moment, unsure if he was being serious.  It was only when his frown disappeared and he told her, “I’m joking.  Get some rest,” that she realized. 

Audrey stood up, rolling her eyes to cover her slight embarrassment, before leaning down to give Tony a hug.  “Thank you for everything,” she said. “This was perfect.” 

“I know you,” he reminded her.  “You’re basically my sister.” 

“That’s true.”  Tony had been through almost everything with her.  Sneaking out to movies, Audrey’s training, their tutoring, and Howard’s traveling.  They’d been inseparable growing up. Not much had changed since then. 

Audrey pulled away, finding herself facing Steve.  He stood up, wrapping her in another hug. “Happy birthday, kid.”

She smiled.  “Thank you, Dad.”  

“Sleep well,” he told her, stepping back.  

The rest of the team called out their goodbyes as Audrey corralled her friends toward the elevator.  The doors chimed, and the group got in. Molly and Caroline were almost completely sober, while Claudia and Lindsey were practically falling asleep on the elevator ride up.  Audrey was somewhere in the middle. 

It had been a good birthday.  Probably the best she’d had yet.  She’d spent it surrounded by people she liked, listening to her favorite music, eating grilled cheeses, and being completely honest about who she was.  

When they arrived on Audrey’s floor, the blonde stepped out to lead the group so that she could unlock the door before they came inside.  

“Three people can fit on the bed,” she announced, holding the door open.  “And the couch is a pull out, so two more there.” 

“We can take the couch,” Molly offered, taking Caroline’s hand.  

“Sounds good,” Audrey said.  Just as she was about to close the front door, she heard the elevator opening down the hall.  Steve exited it and headed towards her. “Oh, hi!” Audrey greeted, and then wanted to smack herself for the enthusiasm.  

“I wanted to give you this,” Steve said.  He held out a small box wrapped meticulously with newspaper.  Audrey stepped into the hallway, letting her door click shut. She took the box in her hands, running her thumb along the paper’s immaculate creases.   _ Steve was an artist, after all _ , she reminded herself.  

“What is it?” she asked.  

He smiled.  “Open it.” 

Audrey unwrapped the paper carefully, doing her best not to tear it.  When she’d removed it, she opened the top of the box. Inside, she found a compass.  

“I used to keep a picture of your mother inside of it,” Steve told her.  “They found it in the plane. I didn’t think it survived, but it still works.”  

Audrey traced its brassy cover with her thumb, smiling to herself.  She’d remembered the SHIELD report on the plane, how they’d found the compass on the dashboard, with Peggy’s photo facing out.  It was one of the last things Steve had seen before he went under. And now he was giving it to her. 

“Are--are you sure?” she asked.  

He nodded.  “I’m trying to get away from my past.  But you want a connection to yours.” 

Audrey clutched the compass in her hand.  

“Thank you, Dad.” 

“Of course, sweetheart.  Come here.” He held his arms out, and Audrey leaned into the hug, letting herself enjoy the safety of being in her father’s arms.  She’d always felt wary about hugs, with the exception of a few people--her team and her family. But Steve always felt safe. And they were making up for lost time, too--seventy years of it. 

After a few more moments Audrey pulled away.  “Thank you again. And thank you for coming. It means so much that you’re here.  I still kind of can’t...believe it.” 

“Sometimes I can’t either,” he confided.  “I’ll let you get some rest. Sleep well. I’ll see you in the morning for breakfast?  Maybe around ten?” 

Audrey nodded.  “Ten o’clock. Goodnight, Dad.  I love you.” 

Steve smiled.  “I love you too, kid. Goodnight.”  

With that, both super-soldiers headed back into their respective apartments.  Inside of hers, Audrey found Caroline and Molly putting sheets on the pullout couch.  

“Where are the other two?” Audrey asked.  

“Asleep, already,” Molly replied.  “Car and I tried to get them to change at least, but they were out pretty quick.  I left them both Advil and water for tomorrow morning.” 

“You’re like the Team Mom,” Audrey remarked.  “In a good way.” 

Molly beamed.  “Thank you. I appreciate that.”  

“Of course,” Audrey said.  “Goodnight, guys.” 

With that, she headed into the bedroom.  Lindsey and Claudia were fast asleep on the bed.  Audrey changed quickly into her pajamas and then joined them.  It had been a good birthday. Even so, she felt an emptiness that Peggy hadn’t been there.  For every birthday prior, her mom had woken her up with waffles and they’d spent the day together.  Now, they were on totally different continents, and Peggy seemed to be drifting further and further away.  

Audrey’s mom was the brightest woman she’d ever met.  It broke her heart to watch as her mind started falling apart.  

She shook away the thought, knowing that she wouldn’t get any sleep if she kept thinking about it.  She’d call Peggy in the morning, Audrey decided. She’d call her mom and ask how things were doing, and she’d go out to Stan’s with Steve and order waffles.  And it would be close enough to the same. 

Audrey closed her eyes, thinking about waffles and her mother.  Soon, she was asleep. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello and welcome to Nodus Tollens!  I’ve been planning this book for so long, and I’m so excited to share it with you guys.  It began as a filler between Avengers and TWS, but I decided it would be a really nice opportunity to explore team bonding and such before we get to TWS and AOU.  
> 
> This story is going to follow the MCU more loosely than Monachopsis, and will cover a much broader timespan (from August 2012 to March 2014, as opposed to the 2 weeks that Monachopsis took place in).  Tonally, it’s different from Monachopsis, in that it is more of a sitcom/dramedy than an action story. There are superhero shenanigans and missions, but so much of the emphasis is on how the Avengers go from a team to a family, and the missions function as more of a tool to get them there than as a centerpiece.  With that said, I hope you enjoy!


	2. Into the Fray

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Parisian adventure, flirtation, and Kate Bishop.

_"I'll find my own bravado_." -Lorde

**September 3, 2012**

While it was New York that catalyzed Audrey's transformation into a hero, it was Europe that kicked the process into full gear. The mission was her first one since she'd begun training with Natasha, and her first in the field. Even though she wouldn't be doing it alone, she was still terrified.

The call had come while she was on a jog with Steve. It was early September, and they were trying to find some semblance of a routine. Usually, they'd have breakfast together with Darcy in the common kitchen, spend the morning exploring New York, and dedicate the afternoon to their respective training. Audrey appreciated the regularity of it all, but after the whirlwind of the past few months, it almost felt dull. And if anything, it just gave her more time to think back to New York. Back to how close she'd come to dying.

Audrey knew it didn't make complete sense-wanting to hurl herself back into the field to avoid dealing with trauma from her last mission-but it was the only solution she'd been able to come up with.

The rest of the team seemed to be much better at coping than she was. Natasha disappeared on missions every few days. Clint devoted his time to training Kate. Steve would take it out on a punching bag. But Audrey just stewed in her thoughts, struggling to sleep, and feeling homesick for a life and an apartment that she'd lost to an alien invasion.

When she got the call, she was almost excited at the chance to get back into work. Even if it was dangerous. Even if it was completely out of her depth. It was something.

"How would you feel about an all-expenses-paid trip to Paris?" Maria Hill asked from the other end of the line.

"Wait, what?" Audrey asked, slowing to a stop and pulling over to the side of the bike path.

"Chitauri weapons have been found on the European black market. We need to contain them. You're being called in."

Steve shot Audrey a look of concern. She got the feeling that he knew what the call was about-either he could hear it, or he could read her well enough. But he stayed quiet.

"Who else is being called?"

"You, Barton, Romanoff, and Bishop. We're partnering with the DGSE on this one, too."

The DGSE? S.H.I.E.L.D. just didn't  _do_ interagency partnerships. They'd refused to cooperate with domestic agencies like the FBI for, like, seventy years. "We're suddenly friendly with other investigators?"

Hill laughed. "The world is different now. Back when we could keep all the weird shit under wraps, we would do our best. Loki kind of shattered that whole plan."

Well, there certainly was that. Keeping a highly televised, intergalactic battle that had caused billions of dollars of collateral damage contained was significantly more difficult than a few 0-8-4s here and there. Audrey blew out a breath. "What do you need from me?"

"Briefing at the Tower in ten. You head out with Barton and Romanoff tonight at nineteen-hundred."

"Copy that," the blonde replied, and then hung up the phone. "Change of plans," she said. "Apparently, we have to head back. They're sending me on a mission."

Her father's brow furrowed as they crossed to the other side of the bike path as they started the walk back to the Tower. They hadn't gotten far into the jog, just a few minutes, so Audrey did her best not to rush. Her anxiety had gotten increasingly worse over the last few months, with everything changing, and she had to try a lot harder to keep it under control than before.

A crisp gust of wind hit her then, effectively pulling her from her trance. She didn't get cold often, and though it was a gray morning, today was no exception. The breeze did, however, remind her that this would be Steve's first autumn since the crash. They had a lot of firsts to get through, still, and Audrey was almost sad that she would have to miss some of them. Almost.

"Where to?" Steve asked, keeping pace with her.

"Paris. But it might end up bigger than that. It's a problem with the European black market, so who knows where I'll end up." She blew out a breath. Besides her regular visits to London, Audrey hadn't been to Europe in a while. A few decades. She recalled a trip in the early nineties to Monte Carlo, where she'd managed a team taking down a corrupt heiress running experiments.

"How long will you be gone?" Steve asked, looking mildly concerned.

"Hill didn't say. We might find out at the briefing, though." Audrey glanced up at her dad again, who was trying to hide his worry but was still furrowing his brow. "You'll be okay, Dad. I'll make sure Darcy's able to help you out."

He smiled down at her, softly. "I'm not worried about myself, kiddo."

"Oh," Audrey said, realizing. "I'll be okay. I've been an agent for, like, fifteen years. It'll be fine."

"You're just...you're so young," Steve remarked. He was clearly holding back what he really wanted to say, but Audrey managed to shove down her curiosity enough not to pry. "I know you're not really young, but...you're so young to me." Audrey looked up at him, waiting for him to elaborate. A beat passed, and Steve laughed. "I can kind of see how Bucky felt, now."

"What?"

Steve did the head-tilt-shrug that he always did before recalling stories of people he used to know. "I was always getting into trouble. He was always worried about me. I always thought he was overreacting, but with you throwing your life in danger for the dozenth time in four months, I kind of see where he's coming from."

Audrey started laughing then, too. Peggy had always detailed Steve's boldness, even when it was completely out of his depth. It seemed to be something she had inherited.

The two super soldiers spent the rest of the walk in relative silence. The father and daughter were both on edge while still trying to relish the last moment of calm before the storm. When they returned, the Tower's lobby was a busy mess of Stark Industries employees rushing around from meeting to meeting.

Audrey headed for the Avengers' elevator, placing her palm over the scanner. When the doors slid open, she and Steve stepped inside.

"What floor is the briefing room on?" Audrey asked.

"I think it's fifty-one," Steve replied. "I'm pretty sure it's fifty-one."

Of all the Avengers, they were the only ones who hadn't yet returned to the field, excepting Bruce. But then again, he'd never really been  _in_ the field in the first place. Audrey hadn't seen the briefing room since they came back from their road trip, and even then it had been during Tony's tour of the entire renovated building. The floors had melted together by then.

She pressed the button for fifty-one. Her stomach dipped as the elevator cabin glided up through the building, passing floors of offices, labs, and more offices. When they finally arrived, she took a deep breath.

"See you later?" she asked Steve.

He nodded. "Let me know how it goes."

With that, Audrey stepped into the briefing room, trying to shift back into her role as an Avenger. It felt like there were always twenty different Audreys inside her head-daughter Audrey, friend Audrey, Avenger Audrey, spy Audrey. She was constantly switching back and forth between them, and it always seemed to take her a while.

She did her best to put her Work Face on, even though her conversation with her dad lingered in the back of her mind. It was strange to be worried about. Howard, Tony, Jarvis-everyone she grew up with knew about how strong she was, and how she would be able to take care of herself. And Claudia, Lindsey, and Caroline always saw her as smart enough to get out of tough situations. Besides Peggy, Steve was the only person who didn't see her as a super-soldier or a SHIELD agent, but as herself.

"Hey, Carter," Maria greeted when Audrey pulled a chair out at the table. Across from her was an Asian girl-maybe in her early twenties-dressed in a purple leather jacket and folding a piece of printer paper into a hat. "You've met Bishop?"

The girl looked up from her hat at Audrey, offering a confident smirk. "We haven't met yet. But I've heard a lot about you."

Audrey smiled politely. "I've heard a lot about you too. Clint says you've been making a lot of progress."

Kate's smirk widened into a grin, but she still shrugged, feigning humility.

"Alright, don't feed her ego too much," Clint announced, strolling into the room and dropping a file onto the conference table. Nat was behind him, smirking. "Kate's great, but she's like nine years old and spoiled rotten. I don't even know if she's legally allowed to work for SHIELD at that age."

Kate rolled her eyes. "At least I didn't pick a deaf dog as my  _hearing guide_ ," she retorted, folding her arms across her chest.

"Hey!" Clint protested, dropping into the seat next to Kate. "Lucky's a great dog."

"I love Lucky. I didn't say he wasn't great, I just said that he can't hear."

As they continued to bicker, Natasha sat down in the seat next to Audrey. The redhead raised an eyebrow and offered some remnant of a smile. "You ready for this?"

Audrey did not hesitate with the lie. "Yes."

Before Natasha could reply, Hill arrived, holding several file folders in her hand. She took her seat at the head of the table, and in the presence of their superior, the room grew silent.

"Welcome, everyone," Maria greeted. She started passing the files around the table, thick folders full of pages and pages of documents. Audrey flipped hers open and found pictures of a handsome man in tailored suits, diagrams of cell-phone models, and several SHIELD issued notices of suspicious behavior. "This man," she said, pointing to the presentation screen next to her, "is Julian Bardot. Premiere technology developer, Stark's biggest rival, and recently-"

Audrey flipped to the next photo in the folder. A Chitauri weapon.

It sent something twisting in her stomach. She'd known what this mission was about, but seeing the weapon that had nearly killed her so many times made her nauseous. But she was in too deep to have second thoughts, so she swallowed nervously and tried to hide her worries.

"-the highest bidder in an auction for Chitauri weapons." Audrey glanced at Clint. What she'd been through with Loki was nothing compared to what they'd done to him. His expression remained stoic, and Audrey mustered up as much bravado as she could to match it.

"I thought Bardot only worked with phones and computers and stuff," Kate interrupted. "What's he going to do with Chitauri weapons?"

"DotTech primarily works with communicative technology, that's true," Maria agreed, "but DotTech houses another company called Arbitrator that's developing missile technology. If Bardot can figure out how to replicate the effects of the Chitauri weapons, he could get extremely rich selling his weapons to the military."

"Stark left him an opening?" Natasha asked.

Hill nodded. "When he left the weapon development field, Bardot took his place. We also have reason to believe that he'll try and incorporate Chitauri energy designs into his other technology, which could prove incredibly destructive. The tests that SHIELD has conducted on Chitauri weapons show that they're extremely volatile. They cannot be put into the hands of civilians.

"There's a launch party at his mansion tomorrow night celebrating the launch of the new DotPhone. You will be gathering intel. Bishop, you were already invited thanks to your father's connections."

Kate stretched her lips out into the shell of a smile, and deadpanned, "Thanks, daddy."

_Wait._ Audrey stared at Kate, trying to figure out where she recognized her from. When it clicked, she wanted to slap herself in the face.  _Kate Bishop._ Derek Bishop's daughter, heiress to the Bishop Corporation, and popular subject of the  _People Magazine_ gossip column. She was always depicted as some airhead, trashy, party girl who passed out drunk in bars. And yet-she seemed nothing like that. For starters, she was training to become a spy under  _Hawkeye_  himself. That alone was a fair indicator of integrity and talent.

Hill continued instructing them, telling Kate, "Your mission is to distract Bardot. This will give Carter an opening."

Audrey knew her strengths and weaknesses fairly well, and knew that  _undercover_ was not one of her talents. At all. Even when she was being herself, she tended to come off as if she had something to hide. But she waited for Hill to continue.

"You're going undercover as a waitress for the catering company."

It occurred to Audrey then-"How are we going undercover if we're...public figures?"

Hill smiled, like a cat that had the canary. "SHIELD has developed technology to resynchronize the appearance of your face through a complex carbon-based process that utilizes photon refractors to, in a sense, rebuild your appearance based on a pre-uploaded visage."

A beat passed, where Clint and Natasha seemed to be silently communicating. "So...masks?" Clint said finally. "They're just masks?"

"Yes. To put it in layman's terms, they're just masks. All of you, except Bishop, will be wearing them. Audrey-when Kate has distracted Bardot, the DGSE agent we'll working with will swipe Bardot's keys and pass them to you. You'll then go upstairs to his study and collect any intel you can find. By this point, Barton and Romanoff will have... _taken care of_...any guards that would be in your way."

Audrey tried to stop the question, but it flew out of her mouth anyways. "Are they going to  _kill them?"_

The two assassins gave her looks of mild amusement. "No," Clint answered. "We'll just knock 'em out and make sure they don't start any trouble with you."

Audrey could not tell if he was being sarcastic or not. "Are you being sarcastic?"

At that, Clint gave her a funny look. "No. No, I'm being serious."

"Oh. Okay." Now, she felt stupid for asking.

"How are we getting in?" Natasha asked.

"You'll be going as members of his security. We've already identified two guards matching your height and build, and synchronised their appearances to the masks. The DGSE will take care of making sure they can't make it."

Again, Audrey wondered if that meant killing them, but could not bring herself to ask the question.  She guessed it was probably not that. With their orders, they were made to sign the liability forms and released from the meeting to prepare for their departure. Audrey hung back until Clint, Natasha, and Kate had all left.

"Do you think I'm ready for this?" she asked Maria.

Hill shuffled her own papers to straighten them out, replacing them in her folder. When she looked up at Audrey, it was with curiosity. "Do you think you aren't?"

"No...I think I'm ready," she replied.  _God_ ,  _even I wouldn't believe me_ , she thought.

"If you're not, you shouldn't go. It could endanger the whole team. But according to Romanoff, you're ready."

Well  _that_ was validating. Knowing that the Black Widow thought she was adequately prepared for field work was almost enough to banish her anxieties. She feared Natasha too much to believe that she could ever be wrong about something.

"I think I'm ready," Audrey said, more confidently. "I'm ready."

Maria nodded, clearly not sharing the same emotional connection to Audrey's revelation. "That's good." She lifted her eyebrow, as if waiting for Audrey to say something else.

She had nothing else to add, so Audrey turned around and left, pressing the button and stepping inside the elevator.

* * *

**September 4, 2012**

Hours later, as the SHIELD-issued jet touched down on a private runway in Paris, Audrey stretched awake and checked her phone to see what she'd missed. A text from Steve, reading,  _Good luck, sweetheart. Stay safe. -Dad_. A photo from Darcy of her smiling into the camera, as Jane and Tony argued behind her, accompanied by the caption  _Science!_

The plane's lights switched on and Natasha picked up her bag, slinging it over her shoulder. She looked almost unrecognizable to Audrey, fitted into a black wig and a trench coat. Clint, next to her, looked equally covert, clad in jeans, converse, and a button down with the sleeves rolled up. In fact, the only one in the group who looked like herself was Kate, in a long purple dress and a black leather jacket. Audrey supposed that made sense, considering the roles they were all playing.

The Avengers' celebrity had expanded greatly in the last few months, with Audrey barely able to leave the tower without getting hassled by reporters. The other day, she and Steve had gone out to get groceries with Darcy and a swarm of people in Captain America tee-shirts had followed them through every aisle, asking for pictures. Although living at the Tower was comfortable, and saving the world was an honor, Audrey did sometimes miss living in a shitty Brooklyn apartment, where she was free to go into a mini-mart in her pajamas at midnight without it being splashed across the covers of every tabloid.

Like Clint and Natasha, Audrey had been trained on how to disguise herself. She left the Tower wearing office-attire, and in a swarm of other Stark employees, most of the time. Other times, she threw on a brown wig and something fitted and very  _not-_ Audrey. She admitted, she hated most of those outfits. They chafed or they were itchy and uncomfortable, and it would bother her all day long.

"Ready to go?" Natasha asked her.

Audrey went over her checklist in her head. Fake glasses? Yep. Iron Man hoodie? Yep. Converse? Check. She nodded at Natasha, and lifted up her own bag.

Deplaning didn't connect them to a terminal, but instead to a runway where the sun shone brightly over the concrete. Two sleek cars waited for them, a woman leaning against one and speaking to a tall, bald man in French. Audrey picked up their conversation, mostly just logistics and going over plans.

" _Bonjour_ ," Natasha greeted. "Agent Romanoff," she introduced. "This is Agent Barton, Agent Bishop, and Agent Carter."

"Hi," the woman greeted, smiling almost bashfully. "Delphine LaMontagne, it's nice to meet you." Her delicate French accent struck Audrey. Delphine was not what she expected. She did not seem strict or uptight, as Audrey had predicted. Instead, there was a gentleness and authenticity to her, from her soft brown eyes to her wavy hair to her slight smile. As Audrey took note of these things, two things occurred to her. The first was that Delphine was clearly a new agent to the field, but she must have been good if she was working a case this important. The second was that Delphine was strikingly beautiful.

Audrey was so lost in thought that she took a moment to notice that Delphine was offering her hand for Audrey to shake. "Oh, je suis tellement désolé!" she apologized, and then winced. She was usually good about keeping her languages apart. "I mean, I'm sorry." She reached for Delphine's hand and shook it, her calloused palm rough against Delphine's soft one.

" _Votre français est bon_ ," Delphine complimented.

" _J'espere. Je parle depuis quinze ans,"_ Audrey replied. Delphine dropped her hand and moved on to Kate.

The man took her place, standing in front of Audrey. He was gruff looking, wearing glasses and a suit. "Jaspar Montesquieu," he introduced simply. This was more the agent that Audrey expected.

Audrey shook his hand. "Audrey Carter."

After introductions had been made, and bags packed, the group separated. Jaspar took Clint and Natasha in one car while Delphine, Audrey, and Kate climbed into the other.

"You'll have to excuse me, I'm a bit starstruck," Delphine said as she started the engine. "You aren't what I expected from an Avenger."

Audrey raised a brow. "What did you expect?"

Delphine shrugged. "I guess I assumed you weren't so...personable. That you were more mythic than human." A beat passed as Audrey considered this. "Sorry," Delphine apologized.

"No, it's okay," Audrey assured her. "I understand."

"The other two are how I expected," Delphine admitted. "They're very uptight."

From the backseat, Kate snorted. "Clint's an absolute idiot," she commented.

Audrey wrenched around in her seat. "What?"

"I mean, he's very smart," Kate elaborated, not moving her gaze from the window. "But he's also kind of an idiot. So he's not as scary as you'd assume he is."

"What about Agent Romanoff?" Delphine asked.

"She's very scary," Kate said. "I think I know her better than I did at the beginning of training, but she's just as terrifying."

Audrey considered this, before nodding in agreement. It was true that she and Natasha were significantly closer now than they'd been in the Helicarrier back in May, but the hours of sparring and training only further demonstrated how lethal she was. She knew she'd managed to earn some of the assassin's trust over the last few months, but she hadn't entirely won her over.

It was only a short ride to the hotel, where Delphine pulled into the valet line and chirped something in French to the parking attendant. Before Audrey could decipher her words, they were being ushered into a service elevator.

"What did you tell him?" Audrey asked.

"We're special guests," Delphine explained simply. "Private elevator."

Of course, as soon as she said this, the elevator slowed to a stop. A pair of maids with their cart stepped into the elevator, forcing Audrey and Delphine to sidle up against the wall.

"Private elevator?" Audrey teased.

Delphine shrugged with a grin. "More or less."

They continued their ascent to the hotel's penthouse suite. The doors slid open and spat them out into a narrow corridor bordered by two walls, the elevator, and another door. Delphine scanned a key card and pushed the door open, revealing a massive suite. Two bedrooms were off to either side of the foyer. Further back was a state-of-the-art kitchen, and a dining room. Above them was an ornate chandelier with at least thirty bulbs.

"Jesus Christ," Audrey said. "This is a  _lot_."

"This is just for Kate," Delphine said.

Audrey spun around. " _How?"_ she asked Delphine, and then turned to Kate. "What are you going to use two bedrooms for?"

"My  _lovers_ ," Kate replied coquettishly, winking at Audrey. The blonde rolled her eyes. She knew that Kate was rich, but this was  _extremely_ excessive. "It's just because it's only accessible through the elevator. Makes it easier to monitor," she admitted finally.

"Our rooms are a few floors down," Delphine told Audrey as Kate wandered around the suite, tossing her things on every piece of furniture she could fine. "Not quite as grandiose, but I'm sure they'll do."

"My apartment had a square footage of 100 until a few months ago, so I'm sure that'll be fine," Audrey said.

"What are we doing for the rest of the day?" Kate asked. "We have hours until the gala."

"Intel," Delphine responded. "Agents Barton and Romanoff are at DGSE headquarters learning more about the logistics of the mansion and how to scope it out. Agent Carter-"

"Audrey is fine," she interrupted before she could stop herself, hating the formality of how it sounded. "From you, it's fine."

Delphine flushed slightly. "Okay, um, Audrey and I need to be at the mansion at four to begin catering setup. You'll get there around seven, a little after the gala starts. Agents Barton and Romanoff will be stationed outside beginning at five, during the security shift change."

"Well, that's hours away," Kate commented airily, her voice echoing throughout the room from her spot in the kitchen. She appeared in the doorway holding a room service menu. "Brunch, anyone?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for being so patient with me with this chapter. Work and classes got me crazy busy, and I was going through some writer's block for how I wanted the chapter to go. As always, your feedback and criticism means the world to me. If you're able, please leave a review on the way out <3


	3. Rendezvous Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Darcy make a promise. Audrey goes undercover.

**** “ _ I feel the sea inside me too big, too never-ending to speak _ .” -Xiaolu Guo

**September 4, 2012**

As Audrey Carter-Rogers fitted herself into a caterer’s uniform and applied her SHIELD-specialty mask, on the other side of the Atlantic, Steve Rogers prepared for a very different mission.  

“Uno,” Darcy announced from across from him.  Steve glanced down at his own combination of cards, four still remaining.  

He still struggled to recall how, exactly, he’d been roped into this.  One moment, he’d been eating scrambled eggs in his apartment; the next, Darcy was knocking on his door; and the  _ next,  _ he was being seated down across from the brunette at a table in the labs and handed a pile of cards.  

While Steve was puzzled by how this series of events had come to fruition he did admit it was helping distract him from his stressing about Audrey.  He had no reason to be worried--she was completely qualified, and he hadn’t heard of anything going wrong. But distance from her for the first time was triggering a paternal protectiveness in him.  

So in that sense, getting his ass kicked in this strange card game was sort of a positive experience.  

“Can I fold?” he asked.  “Is that allowed in this game?”  

Darcy rolled her eyes.  “No way, Captain. You have to suffer the humiliation of losing.”  

Steve blew out a breath, putting a card down.  Darcy frowned, and drew another. “You really don’t need to call me Captain,” he assured her once again.  “Steve is fine.” 

“I like Captain,” she insisted, then shot him a wicked smile that he didn’t quite understand.  He put down another card. “Uno,” she said again, throwing her card down on top of his. 

“It sounds very formal, though,” he said.  “It’s really not necessary.” 

“Eh,” Darcy shrugged.  Steve drew a card, and then set one down in the pile.  Darcy threw down her last card. “Ha! I win.” 

“Very unexpected,” he drawled, raising a brow at her antics.  He liked Darcy--she was warm and inviting, and never tried to coddle him when it came to the unfamiliar.  She just jumped into the deep in and pulled him in with her. 

She gasped.  “Was that  _ sarcasm?”   _ Darcy splayed a hand over her heart, seemingly scandalized.  “Captain Rogers!” she cried. “That is  _ not _ the American way.”  

Steve rolled his eyes at her playfully.  “Yeah, yeah. Alright. Next time, I’ll win.”  

“Who said there would be a next time?” Darcy challenged.  

This gave Steve pause.  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to assume.”

Darcy shook her head and laughed.  “I’m joking, Cap. Of course there’ll be a next time.  We can play Twister,” she said with a wink. 

“Twister?” he asked.  “What’s Twister?” 

Darcy shrugged coquettishly.  “I guess you’ll have to find out.”  

Something about her words made Steve flush red.  

* * *

An ocean away, Audrey did not recognize herself.  The mask had altered her face entirely, and the caterer’s uniform wasn’t exactly what she had expected--nor was it anything she would willingly wear.  

Every caterer Audrey had seen in her life had dressed in some variation of black pants and a white shirt.  Julian Bardot, however, was not a fan of the  _ typical _ .  The outfits that had been sent over to her and Delphine were absurd--bright lavender jumpsuits.  Sleeveless, yet collared. To be paired with the equally-ridiculous four-inch-heeled holographic boots sent over with the uniforms.  

Audrey stared at herself in the mirror, pulling and pinching at the costume where it was too loose around her chest and too tight around her neck.  She would’ve hated the entire getup--and she did hate most of it--but the jumpsuit was made from soft material, so at least it didn’t rub against her skin uncomfortably.  

Whatever her thoughts were on the ensemble, there was nothing to be done about it now.  She and Delphine were already pouring champagne into flutes in the kitchen, where chefs rushed around, hurriedly preparing hors d’oeuvres.  Audrey envied the male caterers, who had not been made to wear the jumpsuits, but were instead wearing monotone lavender tuxedos, which were the slightest bit less ridiculous.  

Bardot had yet to make an appearance, although the party had begun a half-hour ago.  Clint and Natasha had already scanned in outside, and Kate was in position to arrive at any minute.  

“You two!” one of the managers snapped at them in French.  Audrey jumped, nearly knocking over the precarious line of crystal champagne glasses.  “It’s busy out there, you need to be helping out!” 

“Yes, sir,” Delphine responded dutifully.  

Audrey followed suit.  “Yes, sir,” she said.

She hoisted up her enormous tray of champagne glasses, balancing it against her palm and praying she wouldn’t trip over her shoes.  

_ Deep breath, Carter.  _  Undercover had been Peggy’s specialty.  Audrey knew it could be done. She’d practiced and watched her mother do this constantly while growing up.  How hard could it be? 

It wasn’t like she needed to spend much time talking, either.  Her job was to walk around and offer champagne, looking pleasant but remaining untouchable.  

Beyond the kitchen doors, people in expensive gowns and tuxedos mingled and laughed.  A ten-piece string section was stationed to one side of the room, and a large, C-shaped couch at the other.  Audrey smiled and nodded as the minutes passed and her tray grew lighter. Everything was in place for the mission to start, but their two key features were nowhere to be seen: their target and their arrow.  

“Where’s Kate?” Audrey mumbled into her comms unit.  

“I’ve got eyes on her,” Clint responded.  “She’s exiting the car now and coming inside.” 

“Sorry I took so long,” Kate said through their comms.  “I was trying to figure out how to hide arrows in this dress.  Where’s Bardot?” 

Audrey scanned the room again for the billionaire, but saw nothing new.  Beautiful women and handsome men filled the ballroom, but their host was still absent.  

“He’s not here,” Audrey said through her teeth, smiling as she offered her tray to an elderly woman in elbow-length gloves.  “At least, not yet.” 

“I see him,” Natasha muttered.  There was a hint of disgust in her voice.  “He’s currently yelling at one of his housekeepers.” 

“Aw, fuck that guy,” Clint responded.  

They continued to chatter as Audrey made her rounds through the ballroom, trying her best to ignore the way the boots pinched her toes. She caught sight of Kate chatting with an older man on the couch.  He had his hand on her knee and she was laughing at whatever he was saying. 

Delphine passed behind them on the couch, looking ridiculously good in her uniform.  Her wavy hair was pulled back into a high ponytail. The uniform showed off her toned arms and it suited her petite frame.  While the blonde was too long and awkward for the jumpsuit, Delphine managed to make it work. 

“Excuse me, Darling,” a man asked.  Audrey jumped, swivelling around and nearly knocking all the champagne glasses off her tray.  Before her was Bardot. He was tall, handsome, and well built with dark hair and dark eyes. While everyone at the party was dressed to the nines in colorful outfits, he was clad in a classic black suit with a white shirt and a bow tie.  “Do you mind if I grab a glass?” 

“Of course,” Audrey responded.  She held the tray out to him. 

Bardot grabbed a flute of champagne, offering her an expression somewhere between a sneer and a smirk.  There was something undoubtedly smarmy about him. Almost greasy. The intensity of his gaze almost made Audrey want to shower.

Audrey watched him disappear into the crowd, greeting people as he went.  When her tray was empty, she returned to the kitchen to refill. Delphine followed her, pulling her aside.  

“He’s about to give a toast,” she murmured, voice low.  “After, food will be moving. I’ll grab his keys and pass them to you.” 

“Got it,” she responded.  After replacing her empty tray with a full one, she swept back out of the kitchen. Bardot was already stepping up onto an expensive looking coffee table and raising a glass of champagne.  

“Excuse me, everyone,” he said.  “I’d like to make a toast, if you would all raise your glasses.  Or if you don’t have one, there’s a pretty blonde with a tray of champagne,” he said, pointing straight at Audrey.  She froze for a minute, certain that it was bad news if he had not only noticed her, but brought the entire party’s focus to her.  

_ Keep it together.   _ She offered a charming smile and made her way through the room as Bardot continued with his speech.  

“The launch of the DotPhone has been a long and difficult process.  It’s involved collaboration, creativity, and a lot of late nights trying to tweak the minute details of the device to make the best possible product.  I have faith that…” he went on, and Audrey zoned out as he offered empty gratitude to the guests. 

There was a faint thud from above them that shook the chandelier the slightest bit.  Audrey surveyed the room, but everyone else seemed enraptured by Bardot’s words. 

A few seconds after the thud, a Natasha’s voice came through the comms set.  “We’ve cleared the path to the lab,” she announced. 

Audrey turned away from the crowd and mumbled, “I could hear that.” 

“I told you we should’ve used the darts,” Clint announced.  “I was right.” 

“Shut up, Barton, and help me move him,” Natasha replied, and then the audio cut off.  As Bardot finished his speech and waiters rushed out of the kitchen with food, Audrey stepped back, trying to hide behind the large cactus in the ballroom as inconspicuously as possible.  She caught sight of Kate across the room, hugging Bardot and grinning sweetly. She chattered on, leaning close to him, and grabbing something from inside his coat. 

“Shit,” Clint swore through the comms.  “Carter, minor update. There’s a fingerprint lock on the door.” 

Audrey tensed.  They’d prepared for audio recognition, facial recognition, picking the lock, and hacking the system remotely.  But they’d ignored the possibility of a fingerprint detector.  _ Why did we do that?  _ she asked herself.  But then, the answer: fingerprint technology had been mostly phased out of security systems for being too vulnerable.  Fingerprints were too easy to fake because they could be found  _ anywhere.   _

Okay.  Okay, Audrey could work with that.  She sped across the ballroom, doing her best not to send the glasses on her tray shattering.  

“Monsieur,” she asked quietly.  “Would you like me to take that glass for you?” 

“Thank you, beautiful,” he said, smiling in a way that made Audrey’s stomach churn.   _ Gross.   _ She took his glass and smiled sweetly in return, before sweeping back into the kitchen.  

With the food mostly prepared and the kitchen empty of servers, it was harder to hide in the chaos.  Audrey abandoned the champagne tray on the counter, save for Bardot’s glass. With the flute in her left hand, she began throwing drawers and cabinets open in search of tape.  Every kitchen had a junk drawer, in Audrey’s experience. Even billionaires who didn’t cook for themselves had junk drawers. 

The slightly bigger problem with this plan was the sheer enormity of the kitchen.  Which was to say, it was bigger than her apartment. She would not have time to go through every single drawer and cabinet in search of scotch tape.  

After a quick survey of the room, she found it: a landline.  It would make sense for a notepad to be by the phone to take messages, and a notepad would usually be stored with--

Tape.  

“Gotcha,” she mumbled to herself.  

There was a loud crash as something shattered on the other side of the kitchen.  “ _ Who put a tray here?”  _ a chef shouted.  

Audrey grimaced and slipped out through the service entrance, which spat her straight out into a kitchen. She tore a piece of tape off the dispenser with her teeth, being careful not to let her own fingers touch the piece of tape.  Carefully, she pressed it to the glass, where three of Bardot’s fingers were imprinted. 

When she had the tape set, Audrey pressed the button on her earpiece.  “Delphine, can you meet me outside the kitchen?”

“Got it,” she replied.  

The thirty seconds she spent waiting felt like an absolute eternity.  Audrey started tearing off the hangnail on her thumb to keep from getting too anxious.   _ Deep breath.  You’re almost done.   _ All she needed to do was get into the lab, and then she would be ready.  

“Hey,” Delphine greeted quietly.  The blonde jumped, shaking herself back into reality.  “You okay?” Delphine asked, passing a keycard into Audrey’s hand.  Her thumb brushed the knuckle of Audrey’s pinkie, and the blonde did her best not to jump at that, too.

“Yeah, yeah.  I’m okay,” she said.  

There was another large crash in the kitchen.  “ _ Who keeps leaving trays here?”  _ someone shouted.  

“I should go back and handle that,” Delphine said.  “Good luck, Carter.” She winked, and disappeared back into the kitchen.  

Audrey took a deep breath, pushing all thoughts of Delphine’s hands or the anxiety of failing aside, and focusing on the mission ahead: get into the lab.  

She climbed up the service stairway to the mansion’s third floor, which was desolate compared to the rest of the house.  Without the pressure of being watched by so many people, she was able to more fully appreciate how gorgeous the house was.  The hallway she landed in was framed by clay, Roman busts. The windows opened out into an extravagant garden. The walls were adorned with Baroque paintings.  

“Finally,” Clint called at her from down the hall.  “You say you got something?” 

Audrey nodded, holding up her piece of tape.  “I hope so.” 

“We’ll see,” Natasha said, her arms folded across her chest and her face blank.  Audrey swiped the keycard through the lock and then pressed the piece of tape against the screen when prompted.  

A beat.  Audrey held her breath.   _ Please work.   _

The door clicked, and the glass slid open.  

“Thank god,” she mumbled.  “Are you going back downstairs?” 

“I am.  He’s staying,” Natasha said.  “He’ll be stationed by the elevator in case anyone comes up.” 

With that, Natasha let the door slide shut.  Audrey pulled out a pair of gloves that she’d kept stashed in her boot and started looking through the lab.  Unlike Tony or Jane, it was kept completely pristine. Several large notebooks were stacked neatly atop the large wooden table.  Audrey skimmed through them, but found nothing but business plans. 

She started rifling through the desk, finding, to her delight, that Bardot’s files were arranged alphabetically.  Audrey thumbed through them until she reached the  _ C _ s.   _ Chitauri.   _

Pulling the file out, Audrey started skimming through its contents.  Product plans, transactional records, contact information. The transactional sheets were all watermarked with something called DIVUS Industries.  Pulling out her screener, she scanned and saved the contents of each document, before carefully replacing the folder.

Audrey kicked the drawer shut and exhaled.  She had the intel. All she needed to do was get out.  

“Got it, Clint,” she said. “What now?”  

Nothing.  

“Barton?  Do you copy?” 

Nothing.  

Audrey’s pulse picked up speed as she raced through the possible explanations.  They’d been caught. Their mission had been compromised. Clint had been knocked out and Bardot’s actual security guards were headed towards her and bound to arrive at any second.  

There was a crackle of audio.  “Bardot’s ex-wife showed up,” Clint grunted.  “She’s throwing things at his new wife. All security got called downstairs.”  

“Oh.  Okay,” Audrey said.  She sucked in a breath, surveying the lab to make sure it didn’t look as if it had been messed with. Bardot was a terrible person, she knew, but she loved the feel of the lab: the books on the shelves were arranged by height.  All the furniture had right angles and fit together nicely.  _ Not the time _ , she reminded herself.  She started to head for the door of the lab, but stopped in her tracks when she realized someone was waiting for her at the threshold.  He looked like he was still in his teens, with neatly combed dark hair. He stared straight at her. 

“You’re not supposed to be up here.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment on your way out <3


	4. Le Petit Mort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Audrey and Delphine make a getaway.

“ _ Nothing good starts in a getaway car _ .” -Taylor Swift

**September 4, 2012**

Audrey gulped.  The guy cocked his head at her curiously.  

“Why  _ are  _ you up here?” he asked slowly. 

“Um,” she said.  “I needed to get something for Mr. Bardot,” she blurted.  “It was important. He wanted to show his...prototype...to an investor.”  Then, it occurred to her that she might as well ask the same of him. “How did you get up here?” 

He gave her a look, like she was a dead fish he’d tripped over on the beach.  “Are you new, or something?” 

“Yes…?” she answered, not sure if she was supposed to recognize him. 

“I live here,” the guy said plainly.  “Bardot’s my stepfather.” 

“Oh,” Audrey said.  “My apologies, sir. I should go now.” 

He ignored her, leaning back against one of the bookshelves.  “He’s such a bastard. He’s clearly going to leave my mom once she turns forty, the way he leaves all his wives.” 

Audrey didn’t want to get into this guy’s beef with his stepdad, especially not in a room she’d just trespassed into.  Nevertheless, she found herself saying, “I’m sorry to hear that, sir.” 

“Whatever,” he responded, taking a sip of the glass in his hand and stepping towards her, his gait uneven and swaying. 

Audrey lifted up her hand to press the button on the comms piece, hoping that the sound of their conversation would alert the team without her having to say anything.  

“Do you want a drink?” 

“No thank you, sir.”  

“Have a drink with me, pretty waitress.” 

“The hell is that?” Clint asked.  “Did someone lose their piece?” 

“I think I better not, sir,” Audrey said.  

“Sir makes me sound old.  You can call me Henry.” He grinned.  “Or you can call me  _ baby. _ ” 

She resisted the urge to gag.   _ Baby  _ was a more accurate descriptor than sir.  This kid couldn’t have been older than seventeen, and yet, he was trying to hit on her.  Even if he didn’t know that she was a qualifying AARP member, it was weird. Audrey looked to be at least in her early twenties.  “Henry is a nice name,” she said finally, recognizing that she was probably trapped here for at least a little while. 

“Audrey?” Delphine’s voice asked.  “Are you compromised?” 

She hummed.  Henry gave her a look.  She smiled, hoping his drunkenness would keep him from reading too much into it.  

“She has the intel,” Clint supplied.  “We just need to figure out how to get her out.” 

“Now that you know my name, why don’t we have that drink?” Henry asked, raising his eyebrows at her.  She resisted the urge not to roll her eyes at him. 

“I’m a teetotaler, actually,” Audrey fibbed.  At Henry’s confused look, she added, “Besides - aren’t you a little... _ young  _ to be drinking?” 

Henry waved her away, holding out the glass to her.  Audrey took it delicately and set it down on the desk.  The boy tried to step towards her, but when he stumbled, reached back to brace himself on the desk.  

“I hate Julian,” he confessed.  “I hate this house.” His bottom lip began to quiver.  

_ Oh no no no _ .  Audrey winced.  This kid was about to start crying.  She was so close to completing the mission, to getting out, and of course the person who caught her was about to burst into tears.  

Biting the inside of her cheek, Audrey reached over and patted him on the shoulder.  “It’s okay,” she said awkwardly. 

“Barton, go get them,” Delphine ordered through the comms set.  “I’ll get a car ready. Get her out and down to the valet.” 

“That’ll look suspicious. She’s a waitress, she can’t be running through the valet,” Natasha interrupted.  “But we can figure that out. Clint, you should still go get them.” 

Okay.  That was good.  Clint would be upstairs soon, and then she’d have an escape route.  All she had to do was stall a bit longer. “How long have Julian and your mom been married?” she asked Henry.  

He sniffled.  “Eight months.”  

“I see,” Audrey said.  She listened for footsteps, but heard nothing.  “And has your mom been married before?” 

Henry shook his head.  “Men never want to marry her.  She was so happy with Julian proposed, but he doesn’t love her.  He has mistresses everywhere.” 

She winced.  Even if this was some spoiled rich kid, that had to suck.  Audrey knew that if anyone even thought about disrespecting Peggy, she would start swinging.  Being in a place where she couldn’t stand up for herself or for her mom at all sounded like a nightmare.  

“I’m sorry, kid,” she said, patting his shoulder tensely in a failing attempt to be comforting.  “Do you live here with him?”

“Sometimes,” he answered.  “I go to boarding school in Switzerland, but when I come home for holidays I have to see him.” 

_ Sigh.   _ Audrey reconsidered.  Even if his mom’s marital situation sucked, he was clearly still living a charmed life.  Boarding school - and not just boarding school.  _ Swiss  _ boarding school.  

Before she could even begin addressing that, she heard the sound of someone running down the hallway.  Clint appeared in the doorway, still dressed in the official guard gear and his mask. “Hey!” he barked.  “What are you two doing in here?” 

“It’s my fault,” Henry blurted out immediately.  

Audrey blinked.  She hadn’t been expecting this sudden altruism. 

“Get back downstairs,” Clint yelled at her.  “And you,” he said, this time to Henry. “Shouldn’t you be somewhere else?” Henry nodded somberly, stumbling back up to his feet.  When Audrey hesitated to leave, Clint shook his head at her. “I’ll deal with him.” 

As soon as she rounded the corner, she heard Natasha’s voice in her ear.  “Grab a coat from the coatroom and head out the east door to the lot,” she ordered.  

“Got it,” the blonde mumbled, racing down a service stairway and then making a tight turn down a hallway.  In the coatroom, she found herself surrounded by various furs and peacoats. She opted for the first black trench coat she could find, figuring it would cover more of her uniform than anything else.  

Audrey wrapped the coat tight around her body and pulled the ponytail holder from her hair as she dashed down the hallway and out the door.  Delphine was already waiting in the driver’s seat of a car that looked unimaginably expensive, somehow already out of the catering uniform and back into her usual jeans and leather jacket combo.  Maybe it was the adrenaline of the mission, or maybe it was the slight smirk Delphine was giving her, but her heart was racing. 

Audrey threw the car door open and settled down into the passenger seat.  Barely before she had the door closed, the tired squealed against the concrete and they were off, racing through the streets of Paris.  

She pivoted in her seat to see if anyone had caught onto them.  It wasn’t like how she’d always pictured undercover missions going.  There were no men in black chasing them down, or big vans of security guards following them.  Although that would’ve been much, much worse, there was something ominous about the fact that they weren’t being followed.  It made Audrey feel like there was something she wasn’t seeing. 

That was probably just paranoia, though.  Setting the thought aside, Audrey turned to Delphine and smiled nervously.  The brunette met her gaze, face illuminated by the red light they were stopped at.  

“So that was your first time undercover?” Delphine asked.  

Audrey nodded.  

“You did a good job,” she said.  Her eyes darted down to Audrey’s lips.  

“I have no idea what I’m doing,” Audrey said quietly, voice more breathless than she’d realized.  Her heart thudded in her chest, as she tried to discern if she was reading the signals right. She had no idea what she was doing - with the mission, or with Delphine.  All she knew was that she wanted to kiss her. Very badly. 

Delphine leaned toward her slowly, and Audrey’s pulse grew even quicker.  She leaned in. 

A car behind them honked, and they jumped apart, startled.  The light had turned green, and neither had realized it. Delphine swore in French, and then pressed her foot down on the gas, sending them hurtling down the street.  

A nervous laugh escaped Audrey’s lips before she could stop it.  Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Delphine glance over at her.  

There was no way she’d imagined that.  Right? Delphine had leaned over, Delphine had looked at her lips.  Maybe Delphine had wanted her too. 

As the buildings flew by, Audrey tried to catch her breath. Whatever the moment was, it had passed.  Her adrenaline, however, had not. Her heart pounded in her chest, and although Delphine was now focused on the road, Audrey still directed all her attention to the other woman’s lips.  

She was so caught up in her thoughts of Delphine that she barely noticed their arrival at the hotel.  As Delphine handed the keys off to the valet, Audrey pulled her coat on over the jumpsuit and stepped out onto the pavement, wobbling slightly on her heels.  She waited as Delphine spoke to the valet in French, grinning brightly. After thanking him, Delphine turned to Audrey, still smiling, and said, “Let me walk you to your room.” 

Audrey blushed, and then hoped the shadows hit it well enough.  “Okay.”

After a short elevator ride and a few turns, they reached Audrey’s door.  As the blonde unlocked it, Delphine lifted an eyebrow at her, the corners of her lips turning up in a smirk.  “You did good today.” 

“Thank you,” Audrey said, grinning back at her. 

Delphine looked down and put her hands in her pockets.  She bit her lip. She looked back up at Audrey. “Goodnight, Audrey.” 

She tried not to let the disappointment blooming her in her chest affect her voice.  “Goodnight, Delphine.” 

Neither of them moved.  

Audrey leaned back against the door, while still bracing herself to keep it from swinging open.  And then, very suddenly, Delphine pushed herself up onto her toes and pressed a kiss to Audrey’s lips.  

She reacted almost immediately.  Her lips parted and she stumbled back, letting the door open wide.  Inside, Delphine backed her up against the wall in the entryway. Audrey barely registered the sound of the door clicking shut behind them, her focus on the woman in front of her, kissing her, tangling her hands in her hair.  

Delphine hummed against Audrey’s lips, and Audrey reached around and settled her hands in the back pockets of the brunette’s jeans.  Delphine pressed her body even closer to Audrey’s, her hands moving from her blonde locks to the sides of her face, where they cupped her cheeks, then down to her waist as she drew her lips down Audrey’s neck. The blonde shivered.  Delphine’s lips, impossible soft, on her skin. 

But just as soon as Audrey registered the softness of Delphine’s lips, she grew rougher.  She steered them toward the bed and pushed Audrey down onto its edge. The blonde scrambled to push her things off the duvet as she let Delphine push her onto her back.  Chest to chest, lips to lips, closer than close. 

Outside, on the street below, someone played the violin.  The music, the feeling of Delphine so close, the smell of her shampoo, everything.  

Audrey shut her eyes, sighed, and let herself get lost in it.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much everyone for reading!  please leave a review letting me know what you think of audrey and delphine, and what you thought of the chapter in general :^)


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